Stop and tail lamp



Feb. 7, 1933. R FALGE ET AL 1,896,887

STOP AND TAIL LAMP FiledMarch 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 flake t5 769 4] J 4/5522 fizgufzlfe zfla Claret? e I 7, 1933. R. N. FALGE ET AL 1,896,837,

I 'STOP AND TAIL LAMP Filed March' 12, 1932 a 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 vhruxaannnnnnnzz Cla zezzte 61, 7722": el,

Patented Feb. 7, 1933.

UNITED STATES normal is. rarer: ANDAIBEBT a. LEWELLEN, or nn'rno m MICHIGAN, AND summon PATENT OFF-1C1:-

A. KICBEL, OI. ANDERSON, INDIANA STOP ANDTAIL LAMP Application filed latch 12, 1932. Serial No. 598,866.

6 This invention has to do with lamps and particularly to tail lamps used on automobiles. The invention consists particularly in a mounting for the tail lamp bulb which does away with the usual tail light lens, and

is simple and cheap to manufacture.

Figure 1 is, a vertical section through the improved lamp.

I Figure 2 is a face view of the lamp, while Figure 3 is a similar view with'the lens removed. v

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary views corresponding to F igure 1, but showing modified forms of construction.

15 Figure 7 is a detail of the construction shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a rear view of the bottom portion of the lamp shown in Figure 4.

Figure 9 is a view of the lamp envelope receiving aperture of the lamp shown in Figure 6, looking from the bottom upward.

10 indicates the housing which "may be of stamped metal. The front of the housing is provided with a lens 12 mounted within bezel 25 14. The lens illustrated is provided with an upper catadioptric portion 15 for concentrating the beam from the usual stop hght bulb and a lower portion 16 of such configuration as to serve as a back reflector. Thus the portion 16 may have on its rear face the configuration of corners of cubes so that it Wlll refleet light from an exterior source back to the vicinity of that source. As this kind of glass is but slightly translucent it is deslrable to provide a plane or lenticular window 17 opposite-the tail light bulb so that it may give a brighter indication. 4 The bezel may be secured in place by suitable means such as bolts 40 18 threaded in brackets 19 rivetedto'the houslhere is secured by bolt 30 to the upperpart of the rear wall of the housing an L shaped bracket 20 apertured to receive the stop light bulb 22. The metal about the aperture is formed-up in known manner to provide guides for the base or supporting portion of the bulb and bayonet slots to receive the pins on the base.

The lamp housing 10 is apertured at 32 and over the aperture is secured by rivets 34 a To the other side of the disc 36 is secured "a spring contact finger 40 having its end return-bent as shown in the figures. To the rear wall of the housing there is secured by means of bolt 42, a resilient finger 44 having its end apertured at 46. .To the upper side of the free end of the finger 44 is secured an insulating disc 48 apertured in alignment with the aperture in the finger, and secured in place by any suitable means such as bentk over lugs 50. v

' Aligned withthe aperture 46 is an aperture 52 in a re-entrant portion of the bottom side wall of the tail lamp housing. The term aligned is-used here in the broad sense that the apertures 46 and 52 are so related that a member such as the lighting device 56 may be seated therein; and in the claims the term alignment is used in the samebroad sense. Around this aperture 52 is secured a grommet 54 of yielding material, such as rubber. Upon removin the bezel 14 the tail light bulb or lighting evice 56 may be inserted in position as shown in Figure 1. with its glass envelope fitted in the opening 52. An axial projection on its base is received within the insulated opening 46 and its center contact is i engaged by the return bent end of the spring 40. It is apparent that the provision of the insulating disc 48 makes it impossible for the spring finger 40 to engage the metal bracket 44 and'close the circuit when the bulb is removed from the support elements 40 and 44. It is also apparent that the bulb may be readily replaced when desired.

In the use of the lamp, it will be understood that when the bulb 56 is lighted some bf the rays willbe projected directly upon the usual license plate located below' the opening 52 in/ the lamp housing. Another ortion of the rays will illuminate the insi e of the lamp housing, and will be projected through the portion 17 ofv the lens. Even without the len- 'ticular portion 17 the lamp will give a good rear signal. The stop light bulb 22 is arcatadioptric lens portion 15, and this, combined with its higher candle power, will give a strong beam when the vehicle brake is applied. Should the tail lamp be accidentally extinguished the portion 16 of the lens Wlll give a signal by returning rays from the lamps of an oncoming car. V In the modification shown in Figure 4 the arm 44 is replaced by the U-shaped clip 60 v bulb is mounted within a cylindrical sleeve 70, and electrical contact is made through terminal 72 mounted in a spring pressed insulating disc 74. Current is supplied to the terminal by wire 76 which may be suitably connected to a sourceof current. In this form the sleeve carries pressed out lugs 77 engaged by spring'fingers 78 that straddle the socket. These spring fingers yieldingly hold the socket and bulb in position in the same manner as in the preceding forms.

The form shown in Figures 6 and 7 is similar to that shown in Figure 4, except that here the U-shaped member 60' is provided with a pivoted clasp '80. The free end of the clasp is arranged to have snap engagement with a similarly formed end of the bracket 60'. This construction has the advantage over that shown in Figure 4 in that the relation of the contact spring to the bulb supporting bracket is such that it is practically impossible to produce short circuiting when replacing the bulb in the lamp.

We claim:

1.. In a lamp a housing having an aperture therein, a spring finger secured within the housing having an aperture in its free end alined with the aperture in the housing, insulating material carried by said finger and surrounding said aperture, and an electrical contact spring secured within the housing and having its free end overlying said aperture, said aperture in the housing being adapted to receive the glass envelope of an incandescent lamp, said insulated aperture being adapted to receive the base of the lamp, and said electrical contact spring being arranged to engage a contact on said base.

2. In a lamp a housing having an aperture therein, a yielding lining in said aperture, a spring finger secured within the housing having an aperture in its free end alined with the aperture in the housing, insulating material carried by said finger and surrounding said aperture,,and an electrical contact spring secured within the housing and having its free end return bent to overlie said aperture, and an incandescent lamp having its bulb received in the lined aperture in the housing, a portion of its base projecting through the insulated aperture in the spring finger, and a contact on its base engaged by the contact spring.

3. A lamp comprising an open-face casing having a side wall, an electric lighting device therein having a light transmitting envelope and a base, the side wall of said casing having an aperture provided with a seat receiving and supporting said envelope and adapted to permit passage of light from said envelope outwardly of said casing, and supporting and positioning means for said lighting device mounted in said casing, said supporting and positioning means including means supporting said base and positioning said envelope in alignment with said aperture and permitting movement of the lighting device toward and from the aperture, and

including an element resiliently urging said lighting device toward said seat.

. 4. A lamp comprising an open-face casing having a side Wall, an electric lighting device therein having a light transmitting envelope and a base, the side wall of said casing having 1- an aperture provided with a seat receiving and supporting said envelope and adapted to permit passage of light from said envelope outwardly of said casing, and supporting and positioning means for said lighting device mounted in said casing, said supporting and positioning means including means resiliently supporting said base and positioning said envelope in alignment with said aperture and including means resiliently urging said lightloo ing device'toward said seat. a

5 The lamp set forth in claim 4 characterized in that each-of the two lastrmentioned means constitutes ing circuit.

6. The lamp set forth in claim 4 charac terized in that each of the two last-men t oned means constitutes part of the electric lighting circuit, and that one of said two part oi the electric light- 1o last-mentioned means carries an electric inpositioning means including means adapted to support the base of the lighting device and to position said envelope in alignment with said aperture and to permit movement of the lighting device toward and from the aperture and including means resiliently urging the lighting device toward said seat.v

8. A lamp structure comprising an openface casing having a side wall formed with a re-entrant portion which has an aperture provided with a seat adapted to receive and support the light transmitting envelope of a lighting device and adapted to permit passage of light from said envelope outwardly of said casing, and comprising supporting and positioning means mounted in said casing and adapted to maintain said envelope in said seat, said supporting and positioning means including means adapted to support the base of the lighting device and to position said envelope in alignment with said aperture and to permit movement of the lighting device toward and from the aperture and including means resiliently urging the lighting device toward said seat.

9. A lamp structure comprising an openface casing having a rear wall and a side wall sloping outwardly from said rear wall to the open-face of the casing, said side wall being formed with an aperture provided with a seat adapted to receive and support the light transmitting envelope of a lighting device and adapted to permit passage of light from said envelope outwardly of said casing, a portion of said side wall between said aperture and the open-face having a more accentuated outward slope than the apertured portion of said side wall whereby it overhangs said aperture, and comprising supporting and positioning means mounted in said casing and adapted to maintain said envelope in said seat, said supporting and positioning means including means adapted to support the base of the lighting device and to position said envelope near said aperture and to permit movement of the lighting device toward and from the aperture and including additional means resiliently urging the lighting device toward said seat.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

ROBERT N. FALGE. ALBERT R. LEWELLEN. CLARENCE A. MICHEL. 

